We roasted a fresh turkey un-stuffed on Thanksgiving and the left-over pieces have been stored in the refrigerator in it's own container. How long is too long to safely consume the left-over turkey? Thank you. --Betty In our house, most of the leftover turkey is consumed for late night snacks or lunch the next day as Turkey Buns. In... Read more →

I recently heard a TV chef say that she prefers a certain kind of oil because it has a high smoke point. What is a smoke point, and why does it matter?--Sean The smoke point of any oil or fat is the temperature at which it begins to smoke. This is important because at or near the smoke point, the oil begins to also undergo chemical... Read more →

Please let me know how long you can leave freshly cooked food out at room temperature, i.e. turkey, roast beef. I was told by a friend that you must either freeze or refrigerate immediately because bacteria builds up immediately. --Annette This is probably the post I get the most comments on, and most of them are "I hate to waste... Read more →

What does it mean when a recipe says to cook something until it is "thick enough to coat a spoon"?--Angie The term to "coat a spoon" refers to a simple test to determine when a sauce or custard has thickened enough to use. As the liquid thickens, it becomes less and less runny. At some point, if you dip a spoon into the liquid, it will... Read more →

Why do recipes for pastry dough tell you to refrigerate it for a half hour before using?--Ashlan There are three reasons for chilling pastry dough before proceeding. First, and most important, is that during the cutting in of the fat, usually butter or lard, and mixing of the dough, the fat has had a chance to soften. If you were to... Read more →

Q: What does sifting flour do? How is it done? Is it necessary? In earlier days, sifting flour served several purposes. When flour was milled using stone wheels, as opposed to modern steel rollers, sifting removed bits of the millstone and other impurities that might be found in the flour. With modern milling equipment, tighter food... Read more →